Rare Bird Blog

One simple key to improving (nearly) everything

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Harvey Mackay, owner of Mackay Envelope, is widely known for his books and speaking engagements on sales. In his weekly column, he recalls the Broadway musical "My Fair Lady" to make a point:

In the Broadway musical "My Fair Lady," Professor Higgins has driven his prodigy Eliza Doolittle to exhaustion teaching her how to speak proper English. The professor shows little acknowledgement of her hard work, even when her pronunciation improves markedly.

Later in the play, Eliza is again frustrated when her would-be sweetheart Freddie talks about his affection for her in romantic phrases– but keeps his clumsy distance and doesn't kiss her.

"Words! Words!" Eliza explodes. "I am so sick of words! I get words all day through. First from him, now from you! Is that all you blighters can do?"

Then she admonishes him: "Don't talk of stars burning above; if you're in love, show me! Tell me no dreams filled with desire. If you're on fire, show me!"

There is a profound lesson here for sales people, as well as lovers. Or, for that matter, for anyone trying to persuade someone to their point of view. An old proverb says: Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. But involve me, and I'll understand.

There's a profound lesson here for marketers, as well. He goes on to suggest that the four Ps of marketing–product, price, place, and promotion– should be supplemented with a fifth: personal, as in make it personal.

I couldn't agree more. Across the marketing continuum, we're seeing an ever-increasing move to make products and communication more personal. And, in this case, it goes beyond just personalizing a message with a first name or embroidering monograms. Mackay continues:

Plenty of products out there can have a name or monogram stenciled on, from jewelry to towels to furniture. Hundreds of thousands of U.S. businesses offer some level of personalization for their products. And this trend is certainly not slowing due to our ego-centric marketplace.

But to really hit close to home, I'm talking about making things personal by helping people understand how they will be affected. Showing people what a product or service will mean to them. Taking the pitch right to their level, so that it seems the product is made for them and no one else. Because in reality, it is.

How can your products adopt this personal approach? How can your messages take the listener into consideration and truly make it all about them? How can your sales efforts follow this same success strategy? The solution is simple, and it's the one thing we're all designed to do: Listen. As the old saying goes, you have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Use them in proportion to one another.

For more from Harvey Mackay, his last three columns are always archived online.

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-Jim Cota

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'Why is my site not showing up for... ?'

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

If there is one question, as a Search Engine Optimization professional, I hear more often than not; it's that one.

Nearly each time I start a SEO project, someone from within the organization comes forward with keywords and phrases that they believe everyone is using in search engines to find their product and/or service. After performing their own "field research" they soon want to know, from me, why links to their site do not show up when using those terms in the major search engines.

Generally, the cause can be narrowed to one of two oft-repeated keyword request fallacies:
  • The ultra-broad or
  • The extraordinarily specific.

The ultra-broad keyword request.

There was once a client of mine that produced fire door paint. Soon after beginning a comprehensive search engine optimization project he asked me; "Why do we not show up on the first three pages for the term "door"?". I said; "Well, it's because you don't manufacture or sell doors". He replied; "Yes, but aren't there a great deal of people searching using that term? Don't we want to be in front of them?". I told him; "Though that seems to make sense on the surface, the competition for, and diversity of individuals using, that term is immense, containing all of those individuals looking for door-knobs, door hinges, door stops, etc.. The percentage actually looking for fire door paint is relatively small and thus we wouldn't really be going after those most likely to become your customers. Our time (read: money) is surely better spent going after well-targeted potential customers wouldn't you agree?".

Fortunately, he did agree and now enjoys several high-profile listings for similar, yet targeted terms and no longer attracts those searching for example- pet doors.

The extraordinarily specific keyword request.

Another client wanted to know if I could manage it so that they show up favorably for the term "Western Montana Physician Medical Network" (again, pseudo-corp/search term). I replied; "Sure, it's possible- but why would you want to?". They said; "Because it describes us." To which I replied; "Yes, it does, however, you can see from the research that there is no evidence that anyone uses that phrase in search engines. It's not likely to do you any good.". I continued, "Wouldn't you rather show up favorably when users search for; "Billings Doctor Network" or "West Medical Group" each of which are used more than 100 times per month?".

The answer was of course- Yes, followed by an increase in quality traffic that continues to convert to this day.

Each of the above are what I refer to as "vanity terms" and make no mistake, their appeal is easy to understand. It's also easy to understand a clients confusion as it relates to their "importance". Refreshing however, is a client that comes to accept the futility of them on my advice. It's very satisfying not having that questions like that come up again and being able to focus on the real goal; conversions.
-Jim Champer

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